The Forgotten Pew

The incredible memoir of a priest struggling through doubt in order to rediscover the power of love and inclusion.

Having survived the pandemic with their forty-year relationship stronger than ever, Episcopal priest Peter Gwillim Kreitler and his wife Katy thought they had made it through the worst of it. They looked forward to dedicating their future to what they loved most: raising awareness about climate change. But on June 21, 2021, Katy died of cancer, leaving Peter to struggle as he attempted to reassemble his life and his faith. Assailed by doubts as never before, Peter decided to visit eight churches on opposite sides of the country to see whether there was still anything in which he could believe. What he found surprised him. Peter discovered communities that understood his experience first-hand. Amid national declines in religious affiliation, these churches were dealing with their own losses and grief. But what's more, he found communities eager to practice love and inclusion. What started out as a personal journey of the spirit grew into a communal vision. In The Forgotten Pew, Peter charts a path back not only for his own heart but for the church at large.

About the Author
Peter Gwillim Kreitler is an Episcopal priest whose work in parish ministry and as the executive director of Earth Service, Inc., an environmental education non-profit, cemented his belief that we are all one people whose multitude of gifts, belief systems, and styles have contributed to this remarkable world. He is the author of several previous books, including Flatiron: The World's First Steel Frame Skyscraper and Dear Father Peter: Forty-Nine Years of Letters to a Priest.